Bryce Canyon National Park - Adopt a Prairie Dog Project

03/16/2023

🛣️ Why did the Utah prairie dog cross the road? Because they had no better options!

Utah prairie dogs have been surfacing from hibernation, which means we can expect to see them curiously wandering the main road any day now.

🤔 Why do they do this? Well, there are many reasons a prairie dog might wander onto the road--from licking up residual salt and minerals, to sunbathing, to simply getting to the other side. Prairie dog colonies have an average dispersal distance of 3 miles, and genetic mixing between physically separated colonies is highly correlated with long-term colony stability.

🚘 What isn't so good for long-term colony stability? Road accidents. From 2018-2022, 135 Utah prairie dogs were killed by vehicles on park roads.

So what can we do? One idea the park is currently exploring is wildlife underpasses. This would enable the free movement of both prairie dogs and water in a meadow ecosystem currently bisected by pavement. In short, it would give Utah prairie dogs a better way to cross the road.

👩‍🏫 Curious to learn more? Around 11 a.m. tomorrow our Wildlife Biologist Macie Monahan will be discussing the idea of mitigating prairie dog road fatalities through underpasses as part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante 2023 Symposium.

The symposium is a free, two-day conference on land management, Indigenous perspectives, and the plants and animals of the Escalante River watershed. You can find details on how to tune in online at http://escalanteriverwatershedpartnership.org/what-we-do/grand-staircase-escalante-symposium-2023/

[Note, photo does not reflect current conditions in the park; current conditions include about 30 inches of snow]
(pd)

03/12/2023

02/19/2023

Amanda's children beaming with pride after earning their Bryce Canyon Junior Ranger badges.

Explore the Junior Ranger program at https://www.nps.gov/brca/learn/kidsyouth/beajuniorranger.htm

02/18/2023

ADOPT YOURS TODAY! We see. The fist ones popping up last week 😍

02/05/2023

Bryce Canyon National Park In Utah, USA!!!
📸 /IG

01/17/2023

Under the morning sky, the red rock hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park stand out against the stark white of freshly fallen snow.

At 8,000 feet, the scenery changes dramatically in the colder months, providing unique opportunities to see the park.

Photo by Lucy Song

01/14/2023

A big zero, zilch, zip, nada, nothing!

On five days in 2023, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer FREE admission to everyone.

On these significant days of commemoration or celebration, and throughout the year, the National Park Service is committed to increasing access to national parks and promoting the advantages of outdoor recreation for public benefit and enjoyment.

Mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates:
✔️ January 16 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
✔️ April 22 – First Day of National Park Week
✔️ August 4 – Great American Outdoors Day
✔️ September 23 – National Public Lands Day
✔️ November 11 – Veterans Day

Learn more at https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

NPS Photo/Peter Densmore
(pd)